A/N: I know it been a long time since I first posted but here is the next chapter. No matter how long it takes I am planning to finish this. I hate it when someone just abandons a fic with no intention of finishing it. I will finish this.

Chapter Two: Human

Dr. Matt Hunter was surprised last night to receive a call from his former landlord and uncle to his sister in-law. Mac had invited Matt to brunch the next day and Matt didn't feel inclined to go until Mac causally threw in that Maxie was going to be there too. Matt didn't understand why Mac was inviting him to brunch (especially if Maxie was going to be there) because although Matt lived under his roof for some time they did not spend much time talking. Actually, the only time they did talk it was always about Maxie. To be accurate it was Matt trying to rebuff Maxie's false claims made against him while not trying to call Maxie an out- an-out liar. Matt did have to hand it to her she had quite the vivid imagination.

Maxie was intriguing to him. Before arriving in Port Charles and meeting Maxie, women just never said no to him- well not since Suzie Peachum (4th grade people). He really couldn't understand how she could resist him, them together . . . between the sheets. It was plain to see that they had chemistry. Just look at how they flight and flirt. He was a passionate man. Maxie was a passionate woman. Why don't they be passionate together . . . without any clothes on? It made perfectly logical sense to Matt. For some odd reason Maxie hasn't come to that conclusion . . . yet. Matt had every intention of making sure Miss Maxie Jones would come to that conclusion as well.

As much as Matt enjoyed their fight and flirt it was starting to get a bit old so he moved onto an active pursuit of Miss Jones. The pursuit has been enjoyable so far- he even got a date with her. It really wasn't so much as a date as him escorting her to a work function (a gallery opening) but progress is progress. Did you know that some guy actually asked for his business card?

However, ever since their sort-of-date things had been at a standstill. Maxie owed him another date, a real honest-to-goodness date, thanks to Lulu and his black mailing skills (desperate times, desperate measures). He had yet to call her about the promised date. Matt knew that the longer the wait the greater the satisfaction when he finally got what he wanted-Maxie. He really did. But he wanted to move to the "fun" part. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what he means when he says "fun." The problem was he was a 100 percent sure on how exactly to craft the date to ensure that the fun part would happen. Not that he expected the fun part to happen on the first date. Hoped? Hell, yah.

Matt knew that he probably should not have made that comeback response to Maxie's "are you stocking me?" remark but come on! She bated him first and he was here first. Well, one thing led to another and she got ticked off at him - again.

As Maxie started to turn to huff away Matt reached out his right arm to grab her right arm. He had to stop her. He really didn't want her to leave and she really was supposed to have brunch with him . . . and Mac. But it was curious that she was clueless that he was going to be here for brunch. Mac must have just forgotten to tell her.

"Hold on Maxie. Before you arrived we were just talking about Robin and Patrick."

Matt immediately saw Maxie switch into family-mode. She stopped moving and concern flashed across her face. She even let Matt gently pull her down to sit next to him across from Mac. She didn't even notice that Matt held her hand longer than needed.

It was low to use family in such away (as in further himself with a woman) but desperate times call for desperate measures (had he already said that yet?). He was starting to get desperate to get her into his be- . . . uh . . . arms?

Mac and Matt hadn't been talking about Robin and Patrick. The truth was they were engrossed in a conversation about sports.

Matt shot a look over at Mac to see if he was going to contradict him but Mac just had a look of surprise that he quickly covered up with a look of gratitude. That was odd.

The three of them just sat there for a moment looking at each other until Maxie broke the silence with, "Well what happened?"

At the same time Mac and Matt both answered.

"Well you see Patrick-"

"Uh, Robin, uh-"

Mac and Matt looked at each other. Not sure what to say.

"I am still waiting guys."

Matt answered for the both of them. "It Robin and Patrick."

Maxie looked at Matt expectantly for more, and even did a typical Maxie hand motion for continuing. "Things are even more tense than usual. They had an argument. A very public argument."

"Umpf. That's nothing new" interrupted Maxie.

"No, I guess it's not. Patrick accused Robin of cheating on him."

"What?!?!" Exclaimed Maxie and Mac. Matt who had looked down at the table before revealing that piece of information jerked his head up and looked at Mac. Matt thought that was the reason that Mac had called to invite him to brunch- to discuss the latest in the ongoing saga of Patrick and Robin. By the look on Mac's face he obliviously knew nothing about it. Then why did Mac invite him to what was going to be a father daughter brunch?

"No way. Robin would never do that Matt. I know my cousin and that is not possible. Your brother on the other hand-"

Matt raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I am just telling you what happened. Don't shoot the messenger."

While Maxie and Mac engaged in a lively conversation about the latest piece of news Matt said nothing and just sat in his seat looking at Maxie.

She looked beautiful. Well, Maxie always looked beautiful, but today she looked more so than usual. Maybe it was the hair. It was in curls today. It made her look softer, kinder, and more attainable. His eyes swept over her face then swept down from her eyes, to her lips were he locked on to that point for some time. After licking his lips his eyes swept down her long neck and paused to stare at her chest (It's a male thing). He craned his neck a bit more to the left to see if he could see a hint of her bra or cleavage- either would work for him. Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up and he felt as if someone was staring at him.

His eyes left the area of Maxie's chest to look at her face. She was looking at Mac. It wasn't Maxie that was looking at him. Matt turned his head from Maxie's direction to Mac's. Mac was staring at him staring at Maxie's chest.

Shit.

***

For some reason parents (especially fathers) like to think that a boy's intentions to their daughter are completely platonic. As Mac observed Matt ogle Maxie it was very apparent that Matt feeling towards his daughter were not platonic. Mac resigned himself to that fact (as much as it pained him to do so) simply because his plan required that of Matt. At least Matt had the decency to look embarrassed when he caught by him ogling Maxie and he did redirect his gaze to her face. His eyes had remained there for the past 25 or so minutes, even when he was ordering, his eyes never left her face. Perfect.

Somehow Matt had managed to redirect conversation away from the endless drama that was Robin and Patrick to work stories. Mac hadn't had a chance to put a word in edgewise for Matt and Maxie were too busy trying to one-up the other on stories.

As conversation continued Mac saw Maxie's snotty/bratty shell start to fall away a bit, after all she was Maxie. After a bit, she gave up trying to fight back her smiles. A big smile was plastered on her face now. He really hadn't seen her laugh and smile this much since before the loss of his other little girl- dear Georgie. It did him good to see her like that-laughing and smiling.

Mac started to tune-back into the conversation after hearing an escalation of voices, hinting at the possibility (translation: likelihood) of another one of Maxie and Matt arguments was starting to brew. He caught on that Maxie had just was just finishing a tale about a model with less than model behavior, winning the worst experience at work and they were now competing on the funniest story.

"That doesn't count. It didn't happen to you-" said Maxie.

"It still is the funniest of stories" retorted Matt.

"You're lying. There is no way that is a true story." accused Maxie.

"I swear. I'm not. My ex-roommate, from medical school, was in the ER when a man came into the ER and yelled that his wife is going to have their baby in the cab outside. Well, naturally he ran out to the cab, lifted up the woman's dress, and began to take off her underwear to deliver the baby. Too bad he didn't realize earlier that there were several cabs and he was in the wrong one."*

Mac, who was sipping his coffee, started choking as his coffee went down the wrong pipe after at hearing the punch line. Matt and Maxie attention had been centered on each other turned to look at Mac after hearing his choking sounds.

"Coffee went down the wrong way" informed Mac.

"Well, you lose" stated Maxie turning back to Matt.

"You cracked a smile" commented Matt.

Choosing to ignore his comment Maxie said while gesturing in the air with her hands "It didn't happen to you. Case closed. I win." She added a shrug at the end to emphasize the finality of her comment.

Just as Matt was about to retort Maxie's cell went off. Maxie grabbed for her Chanel clutch to retrieve her cell. It was a text. Sighing as she rose from the booth, quickly informing them that ever-so-needy Kate needs her "now." Maxie quickly kissed Mac on the cheek. As she turned to walk toward the door she paused for the briefest of seconds to look at Matt, she opened her mouth, then closed it fast, then opened it once more to quickly blurt out a "bye Matt." Then she was darting to the door as fast as her high heels would allow.

Mac watched Matt's reaction to Maxie. At first he had this dazed look of confusion on his face as if he was trying to process and figure out what exactly had happened.

Mac on the other hand knew what had just passed. Maxie had acknowledged Matt and not in a pest- that-I-would-like-to-step-on-and-kill-if-I-wasn't-wearing-such-pretty-shoes way, but as human being or at least something very close to that. He even swore that Maxie had a partial smile on her face as she was heading to the door. Or maybe it was Mac's own mind playing tricks on him just to ease his conscience for what he was about to do. It was time to give Matt a little gentle shove in the right direction. This really was going to be too easy. Wasn't it?

Mac was finishing up his cup of coffee when Matt turned around from the door that Maxie had just exited out of.

"I guess that I should get going" said Matt

"Oh no, don't. Sit. Stay. I wanted to have a chat with you about something very important."

The tone in Macs voice let Matt know that it was not so much a request as an order.

Next chapter

The elevator door dinged

It's just dinner. Nothing more.

He just couldn't get her off.